Railway coupling

ABSTRACT

A coupler head is modified from A.A.R. standards in that its thrower hole is displaced so that a standard knuckle thrower engages the coupler head, preventing engagement of the knuckle thrower with the lock in the lockset position as the lock drops toward the locked position.

O United States Patent [191 [111 3,853,228

Metzger Dec. 10, 1974 4] RAILWAY COUPLING Prima Examiner-M. Henson WoodJr. 75 I t 1 N D. M Al 1 men or elson eager Ohio Assistant Examiner-GeneA. Church [73] Assignee: Amsted Industries Incorporated,

Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: May 14, 1973 57 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 359,713

A coupler head is modified from A.A.R. standards in that its throwerhole is displaced so that a standard [52] US. Cl. 213/146, 213/147knuckle thrower engages the coupler head, preventing [51] Ilit. Cl. 361g3/08 engagement of the knuckle thrower with the I k i [58] Fleld ofSearch 213/147, 146 the lockset position as the lock drops toward hlocked position. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 Claims, 4Drawing Figures 2,948,414 8/1960 Metzger 213/146 X PATENIE sec 1 0:914

' sum 20F 2' RAILWAY COUPLING This invention involves modification ofastandard railway coupler to provide for greater assurance of lockingupon closure of the coupler knuckle. The disclosure herein is directedtowardsastandard E coupler as established by the Association of AmericanRailroads. However, it should be understood that the disclosure isapplicable to standard F couplers, as well as other types of railwaycouplers. Such couplers are well known, and are disclosed in Car andLocomotive Cyclopedia, published by Simmons-Boardman, New

' York.

Upon closure of a coupler knuckle, a knuckle thrower is pivoted intoposition to receive a lock, which drops under the force of gravity toengage the knuckle thrower in the locked position, thereby securing theknuckle. Heretofore, couplers were designed to insure that a headallowed free movement of the knuckle thrower within the coupler housing.Indeed, freedom of movement was considered to be an important advantageto insure proper coupler operation.

Recent investigation has determined that in cases where a knuckle isclosed, the knuckle thrower may, as a result of impact from the knuckle,pivot beyond the locking position, thereby engaging the lock in itslockset position.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a modifiedcoupler which provides greater assurance of locking as the knucklecloses.

Another object of this invention is to provide a structural relationshipbetween a knuckle thrower and its associated coupler head to limitpivotal movement of the knuckle thrower during the closing operation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide for reorientationof a knuckle thrower relative to a coupler head, so that engagement withthe coupler head limits pivoting of the knuckle thrower, therebyassuring that a lock will drop properly to its locked position.

These and'other objects of this invention will become clear to thoseskilled in the art upon examination of the disclosure herein includingthe drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view, cut away to show a standard E coupler in itslocked position;

FIG. 2 is a side view, cut away to show a standard E coupler in itslockset position;

FIG. 3 is a side view, cut away to show a standard E coupler in itsthrown or open position; and

FIG. 4 is a top view, cut away to show details of the modified couplerdesign.

Turning now to the drawings in more detail, the coupler includes a headhaving a side 12 with an inner face 14. A knuckle 16 is carried by head10 for pivotal movement relative thereto about a knuckle pin 18.

A knuckle thrower 20 includes upper and lower trunnions 22 supportedwithin a lower thrower hole 24 defined by head 10 and by an uppertrunnion bearing surface 25. Trunnions 22 freely rotate, thereby causingknuckle thrower 20 to move pivotally about the center lines of thetrunnions.

A lock 26 having a thrower seat 28 and a lockset seat 30 iscooperatively engaged with knuckle thrower 20 and knuckle l6 within'head10 in a conventional manner. In FIG. 1 the coupler is shown in itslocked position,-and thrower seat 28 of lock 26 is supported by lockseat leg 32 of knuckle thrower 20. A conventional locklift assembly,including a lever 34 and a toggle 36,

is associated with head 10 and lock 26 in a conventional manner. Uponmovement of the locklift assembly, lock 26 is moved from its lockedposition (FIG. 1)

to its lockset position (FIG. 2), wherein lockset seat 30 of lock 26 isseated upon lock seat leg 32 of knuckle thrower 20.

In a conventional manner knuckle 16 may be thrown to the open position(FIG. 3).

Upon closure, knuckle 16 moves counterclockwise about pin 18 (FIG. 4)until thrower pad 38, carriedby knuckle 16, engages knuckle actuatingleg 40 of knuckle thrower 20. Continued counterclockwise movement ofknuckle 16 causes knuckle thrower 20 to pivot about the center line oftrunnion 22 in a clockwise direction. This clockwise pivotal movementcauses lock seat leg 32 to move to the locking position (FIG. 1), atwhich time lock 26 drops, as a result of gravitational forces, to itslocked position.

Heretofore, it had been thought that knuckle thrower 20 should havecomplete freedom of movement within head 10. I-Iowever,in instanceswhere hard closure of knuckles 16 occurs, it has been found that theimpact of thrower pad 38 engaging knuckle actuating leg 40 causesclockwise rotational movement of knuckle thrower 20 to such an excessivedegree that it moves beyond the locking position into a position whereit is engaged by lockset seat 30 as lock 26 drops. This results in lock26 assuming its lockset position (FIG. 2) rather than its lockedposition (FIG. 1).

It has been found desirable to limit clockwise movement of knucklethrower 20. One preferred form of this invention involves modifying head10 by re-locating hole 24 and upper trunnion bearing surface 25, and byrelieving head and/or knuckle thrower surfaces to accommodate thisre-location. It has been found that by moving the center of hole 24 andarcuate surface 25 a distance of one-sixteenth inch upwardly and onethirtysecond inch rightwardly as shown in FIG. 4, the desired resultsare obtained. Specifically, this movement changes placement of trunnions22, thereby changing the point about which clockwise rotation of knucklethrower 20 takes place. Knuckle thrower 20 pivots until knuckleactuating leg 40 engages inner face 14 of side 12. This engagement actsas a limit stop, preventing further clockwise rotation of knucklethrower 20.

' As a result, lock seat leg 32 cannot move far enough to engage locksetseat 30 as lock 26 drops. By not allow ing movement of knuckle thrower20 beyond the locking position, lock 26 is free to drop into its lockedposition with thrower seat 28 supported by lock seat leg 32.

Inner face 14 of side 12 may be modified so as to be positioned toinsure that it acts as a proper limit stop for knuckle thrower 20.

Although the modification disclosed herein is slight, it has resulted ingreatly improved locking characteristics upon closure of a knuckle. Itshould be understood that variations on the preferred form of thedisclosure may be made. For example, the knuckle thrower and head may bemodified, or the knuckle thrower alone may be modified, or an externallimit stop may be provided without departing from the scope of theinvention, which is limited only by the claims following.

I claim:

1. In a railway coupler comprising a head member, a knuckle and aknuckle thrower member supported by said head member for movementbetween thrown and other of said members to limit pivoting of saidknuckle thrower member into a locked position wherein said knucklethrower is maintained out of engagement with said lock as said lockmoves from said thrown position into said lockset position toward saidlocked position.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said head member includesa thrower hole, and said knuckle thrower member includes a trunnionjournaled in said thrower hole for pivotal movement of' said knucklethrower member between said thrown and locked positions, said knucklethrower member being engagab le with said head member in said lockedposition wherein said knuckle is maintained out of engagement with saidlock during movement from said thrown to locked positions thereof.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said head member ismodified from established A.A.R. standards by displacement of saidthrower hole, thereby causing said knuckle thrower member to engage saidmodified head member to limit said pivotal movement when said knucklethrower is in said locked position.

1. In a railway coupler comprising a head member, a knuckle and aknuckle thrower member supported by said head member for movementbetween thrown and locked positions, said knuckle thrower member beingengageable by and movable with said knuckle toward said locked position,and a lock movable within said head member between thrown, lockset andlocked positions, said lock being movable toward its locked position dueto gravity; the improvement wherein means on at least one of saidmembers is engagable with the other of said members to limit pivoting ofsaid knuckle thrower member into a locked position wherein said knucklethrower is maintained out of engagement with said lock as said lockmoves from said thrown position into said lockset position toward saidlocked position.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 wHerein said headmember includes a thrower hole, and said knuckle thrower member includesa trunnion journaled in said thrower hole for pivotal movement of saidknuckle thrower member between said thrown and locked positions, saidknuckle thrower member being engagable with said head member in saidlocked position wherein said knuckle is maintained out of engagementwith said lock during movement from said thrown to locked positionsthereof.
 3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said head memberis modified from established A.A.R. standards by displacement of saidthrower hole, thereby causing said knuckle thrower member to engage saidmodified head member to limit said pivotal movement when said knucklethrower is in said locked position.